Stevie Mallan picked the ball up on the left and a cute pass inside picked out Allan Campbell, with the Motherwell man jinking his way into the box.

The Dutch defence rallied, though, with both Campbell and Hornby crowded out before they could test Justin Bijlow in the home goal.

At the other end, Chris Cadden had to look lively to hook clear a dangerous in-swinging corner.

The hosts looked wary of winger Mikey Johnston, who was keen to take them on at every opportunity.

On seven minutes the livewire – who scored a memorable solo goal in the summer’s Toulon tournament – cut in from the left and watched in despair as his curling effort bounced back off Bijlow’s left-hand post.

Magennis was unlucky not to score with the rebound, with a desperate dive enough to deflect his shot wide.

The Oranje were also left cursing their luck when a vicious strike from Koopmeiners cannoned off Robby McCrorie’s crossbar, with Sam Lammers unable to keep his headed follow-up attempt on target.

Lammers could count himself unlucky on 25 minutes after just failing to connect with a whipped-in low ball from Denzel Dumfries on the right.

Within a minute Scotland had troubled the woodwork again, with Mallan’s corner clipping the crossbar.

The Scots suffered a blow on 39 minutes when Campbell picked up a knock and was forced off for Lewis Ferguson.

In the dying minutes of a ferociously contested first half Ouwejan went close with a low shot that was deflected out for a corner.

Scotland started the second half with the same tactical discipline they’d shown before the interval, which Gemmill had demanded of his players in advance.

Even Gemmill, who is so meticulous in his preparations, couldn’t possibly have predicted what came next.

Bijlow came sprinting clear of his box to clear a long ball, but could only kick the ball as far as Thursday’s hat-trick hero.

Hornby looked up, from all of 40 yards out, and lobbed the ball perfectly over the stranded goalkeeper and into the net.

The Dutch responded with a double substitution but the momentum was still with Scotland, as Johnston flashed a shot wide.

The hosts upped the ante, however, and Robby McCrorie was called into action in spectacular style on 64 minutes, dropping low to his left to somehow claw out a net-bound strike from captain Guus Til.

McCrorie repeated the trick a couple of minutes later to deny substitute Richairo Zivkovic, but there was nothing the big shot-stopper could do about the leveller that followed on 70 minutes.

Koopmeiners’ free-kick from the edge of the area was powerful but it took the cruellest of deflections to beat the Rangers rookie.

By this stage Scotland were up against it but defending doggedly, as Koopmeiners dragged a shot wide of McCrorie’s post.

A draw was the least they deserved before one last twist in the tale.

Substitute Ferguson was hauled down in the box by Pablo Rosario, who was sent packing for his efforts.

That man Hornby showed mettle beyond his years to make no mistake from the spot and spark wild celebrations.